Museums in Los Angeles

Discovery Cube Orange County

Science Museum

The Discovery Cube Orange County Science Museum in Santa Ana is hard to miss. Its ten-story solar array cube that stands over Interstate 5 has become something of a landmark. With more than 100 hands-on science exhibits it's a great museum to visit with the whole family. The large museum is divided into several themed areas: Science of Hockey, Dino Quest, Rocket Lab, Air & Space, Eco-Challenge, Dynamic Earth, Quake Zone, and the Showcase Gallery which houses traveling exhibits.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Discovery Cube Orange County.

• Dino Quest
• Eco-Challenge
• Quake Zone

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $20 per person
• 📍 2500 N Main St, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Minnie Hill Palmer House/The Homestead Acre

Historic Site

The Minnie Hill Palmer House, also known as The Homestead Acre, is the only remaining homestead cottage in the San Fernando Valley. The cottage is a redwood Stick-Eastlake style American Craftsman-Bungalow. The house, gardens and Chatsworth Museum are open for tours from 1-4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Minnie Hill Palmer House/The Homestead Acre.

• Homestead Cottage
• Virginia Watson Chatsworth Museum
• Minnie Hill Palmer Gardens

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 10385 Shadow Oak Dr, Chatsworth, CA 91311

Catalina Island Museum

History Museum

The Catalina Island Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the island's unique history. The museum's collection consists of Catalina pottery and tile (which was manufactured on the island from 1927-1937) and more than 10,000 photographs and negatives documenting island life from the early 1880s to the present day. The museum is also home to boat models, sport fishing items, artifacts from the island's steamships and more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Catalina Island Museum.

• Catalina pottery and tile
• photographs and negatives
• boat models

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $17 per person
• 📍 217 Metropole Ave, Avalon, CA 90704

California African American Museum

Art Museum

Located in Los Angeles's Exposition Park, the California African American Museum (CAAM) is much more than just a museum. The space includes three exhibition galleries, a theater gallery, a large sculpture court, a conference center/special events room, an archive and research library with 20,000+ books and other reference materials available. The museum's permanent collection includes over 4,000 paintings, photographs, sculptures, and artifacts focused on representing the diverse contributions of African Americans in the United States.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at California African American Museum.

• Bronze bust of civil rights activist Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune by artist Richmond Barthé
• Walter Burrell Collection of audio recordings of Burrell’s interviews with African American celebrities
• The oral histories of Celes King, a local civil rights activist and former Tuskegee airman

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 600 State Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Bhagavad-gita Museum

Private Museum

Located in West Los Angeles, the Bhagavad-gita Museum is a multimedia art museum all about the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. The museum was established in 1977. It consists of eleven pretty much life-size dioramas. The dolls in said dioramas are constructed from traditional Indian doll-making materials such as bamboo, rice straw, various clays, and rice husk.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Bhagavad-gita Museum.

• Introduction — Prabhupada and the Bhagavad-gita
• The Precarious Condition of the Living Entity
• Lord Chaitanya's Sankirtan Festival

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10+ per person
• 📍 3764 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Barnsdall Art Park

Cultural Center

Located in the East Hollywood district of Los Angeles, the Barnsdall Art Park is home to many arts intuitions, including the following three. First, The Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (BGT), which is a venue that hosts live theatre, dance, music, spoken word, lecture, film, and special events. Second, the Hollyhock Hous, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Third, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG), which focuses on underrepresented artists from the Los Angeles area.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Barnsdall Art Park.

• Hollyhock House
• Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG)
• Barnsdall Gallery Theatre (BGT)

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $7 per person
• 📍 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The Banning House & Museum

Historic Site

The Banning House and Museum is a 23-room historic Greek Revival-Victorian home. The residence was built in 1864. Since falling into despair over the decades, the house interiors have been carefully restored to their Victorian beauty, and 18 rooms are open to the public.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Banning House & Museum .

• Stagecoach
• Barn
• Gardens

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 401 E M St, Wilmington, CA 90744

Autry Museum of the American West

History Museum

The Autry Museum of the American West is located in beautiful Griffith Park. The museum has a collection of more than 500,000 pieces of art and artifacts. Including the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, it is one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American materials in the US.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Autry Museum of the American West.

• Gold at the [Au]try
• Coyote Leaves the Res: The Art of Harry Fonseca
• Indian Country: The Art of David Bradley

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $14 per person
• 📍 Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027

American Jewish University Galleries

Art Museum

The American Jewish University's two art galleries, Marjorie and Herman Platt Gallery and Borstein Art Gallery, explore creative practice, cultures and ideas, with an emphasis on contemporary work. The spaces host ongoing rotating exhibits. In the past, the galleries have showcased artists like David Hockney, Jim Dine, and Frank Stella. When you visit, don't miss the Smalley Sculpture Garden!

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at American Jewish University Galleries.

• David Hockney
• Jim Dine
• Frank Stella
• Smalley Sculpture Garden

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 15600 Mulholland Drive Bel Air, CA 90077

Museum of Illusions

Specialty Museum

The Museum of Illusions is another highly Instagrammable experience. The museum has more than 30 3D illusions inspired by cartoons, art, current events, movies and more. There is also a super cool upside-down house with seven unique rooms to explore.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Illusions.

• Upside Down House
• African Safari
• Edge of a Skyscraper

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $25+ per person
• 📍 6751 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Grammy Museum

Specialty Museum

The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live is fun, interactive and educational. Explore and interact with the exhibits through touch-screens, videos, and recording booths. The museum also has a collection of historical music artifacts including costumes and instruments from the Grammy Awards, hand-written lyrics, records, and audio/video recordings, and outfits worn by Grammy-Award-winning musicians such as Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Grammy Museum.

• Costumes and instruments from the Grammy Awards
• Hand-written lyrics
• Outfits worn by Grammy-Award-winning musicians

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $12 per person
• 📍 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Japanese American National Museum

History Museum

The Japanese American National Museum is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum's exhibits cover more than 130 years of Japanese-American history. The collection includes a massive moving image archive with 100,000+ feet of 16mm and 8mm home movies made by and about Japanese Americans from the 1920s to the 1950s. You'll also find artifacts, textiles, art, photographs, and oral histories of Japanese Americans on your visit.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Japanese American National Museum.

• Moving image archive
• Artifacts
• Oral histories of Japanese Americans

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $16 per person
• 📍 100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

Art Museum

The Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA for short, has three different locations in Los Angeles. The main branch, MOCA Grand, is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown. The second, Geffen Contemporary is located in the Little Tokyo district of downtown. The third, The Pacific Design Center facility is located in West Hollywood. MOCA's collection includes primarily American and European contemporary art created after 1940.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

• Calla Look by John Chamberlain
• Black Iris by Franz Kline
• Man with Folded Arms by Roy Lichtenstein

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $15 per person
• 📍 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Petersen Automotive Museum

Specialty Museum

The Petersen Automotive Museum located on Museum Row in Los Angeles is one of the world's largest automotive museums. The museum has 100+ vehicles on display in 25 galleries on three different floors.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Petersen Automotive Museum.

• 1992 Batmobile from Batman Returns
• De Tomaso Pantera which belonged to Elvis Presley
• Ferrari 308 GTS Targa used by Tom Selleck in Magnum, P.I.

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $16 per person
• 📍 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Architecture and Design (A+D) Museum

Specialty Museum

A+D Museum, also known as Architecture and Design Museum, Los Angeles, is located in downtown Los Angeles Arts District. The museum's mission is to "celebrate and promote an awareness of progressive architecture and design in everyday life."

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Architecture and Design (A+D) Museum.

• The Los Angeles Schools
• Proof & Prototype
• Shortlisted!

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $10 per person
• 📍 900 E 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Will Rogers State Historic Park

Historic Site

By the mid-1930s, Will Rogers was one of the most popular actors in Hollywood and "America's most beloved citizen." After Rogers' death, in 1944, his widow, Betty, donated their ranch to California State Parks. The ranch consisted of a 31-room house with guest housing, a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course, and riding trails. Today you can take tours of the ranch house, picnic in the park, take a nice hike and more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Will Rogers State Historic Park.

• Riding trails
• 31-room house
• Stable

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $12 per person
• 📍 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Watts Towers Arts Center

Historic Site

Simon Rodia spent 33 years building the Watts Towers on a small piece of land he purchased in 1917. The Watts Towers are made up of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics. The tallest of the towers is 99.5 feet tall. Today, it is connected to The Watts Towers Arts Center, a community arts center, who runs tours, art classes and other programs.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Watts Towers Arts Center.

• 17 interconnected sculptural towers
• Mosaics
• 99.5-foot tall tower

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1727 E 107th St, Los Angeles, CA 90002

California Science Center

Science Museum

The California Science Center has four major permanent exhibit areas, World of Life, Creative World. World of Life, Ecosystems, and Air and Space. World of life explores the commonalities of the living world, from the single-celled bacterium to the human being; Creative World examines the ways people employ technology to meet their needs for transportation, communication and structures; and Ecosystems, a major expansion opened in March of 2010, features an unprecedented blend of nearly 400 species of live plants and animals, and hands-on exhibits in 11 immersive environments. Air and Space Exhibits explores the design of aircraft, spacecraft, and space probes for specific tasks by applying the principles of air, space, and flight.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at California Science Center .

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 700 Exposition Park Drive Los Angeles, CA 90037

Annenberg Space for Photography

Art Museum

The Annenberg Space for Photography is a cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting both digital and print photography. It opened its doors in March 2009 at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles. At just 10,000-square-feet it is an intimate space for the community to come together. The space features several powerfully-themed exhibits a year as well as photography-oriented programming, including lectures, workshops, masterclasses, and family-friendly events. The Traveling Exhibits features the work of both world-renowned and up-and-coming photographers, as well as original short documentary films in which that artists share the compelling stories behind the images.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Annenberg Space for Photography .

• Traveling Exhibits

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 2000 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles, CA 90067

Natural History Museum

History Museum

The Natural History Museum (NHM) is one of L.A.’s oldest cultural institutions. In addition to sharing the history of the planet through incredible exhibits like Age of Mammals, the Dinosaur Hall, the Gem, and Mineral Hall -- NHM takes on the relationship between the environment and people, past and present. NHM offers an incredible space to explore and discover the intersection of nature and culture.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Natural History Museum .

• Dinosaur Hall
• Nature Lab
• 3D Theater

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $14 per person
• 📍 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007

Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens

Library

The Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens is a collections-based educational and research institution. The library's art galleries are extensive with a focus on 18th- and 19th-century European art and 17th- to mid-20th-century American art. The Library Exhibition Hall is one of the world's great independent research libraries, with more than eleven million items spanning the 11th to 21st centuries. And last but certainly not least are 120 acres of specialized beautiful botanical gardens to explore.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens.

• The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough
• Desert Garden
• Japanese Garden

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $25+ per person
• 📍 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, CA 91108

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Art Museum

LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 142,000 objects spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present. In addition to incredible art exhibits, LACMA features film and concert series. LACMA is currently undergoing a massive redesign scheduled to be completed in 2024. While many of the original permanent collection galleries are closed, art from the museum’s collection will continue to be on view in exhibitions in BCAM and the Resnick Pavilion.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) .

• Urban Light by Chris Burden
• Weeping Woman with Handkerchief by Pablo Picasso
• La Trahison des images (Ceci n’est pas une pipe) by René Magritte

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $25 per person
• 📍 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

Flight Path Learning Center & Museum

Specialty Museum

The Flight Path Learning Center & Museums houses objects and information on the history of aviation. You'll find scale models of aircraft, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline memorabilia such as playing cards, china, magazines, signs, even a TWA gate information sign. The museum also has more rare items such as aircraft manufacture company newsletters/magazines and industry magazines dating back to WWII and before.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Flight Path Learning Center & Museum .

• The Spirit of Seventy" DC-3
• Aircraft scale models
• Flight attendant uniforms

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 6661 Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Travel Town Museum

Specialty Museum

The Travel Town Museum, located in Griffith Park, educates people about railroad history. The museum specifically explores the history of railroad transportation in the western United States from 1880 to the 1930s. The collection includes 43 full-scale railroad engines and cars.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Travel Town Museum.

• Heisler Locomotive
• Shay
• Union Pacific Sleeping Car

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 5200 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC)

Cultural Center

The non-profit Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) is a community arts center located in Venice. The center is involved in and sponsors many community projects and workshops such as murals and other works of public art. SPARC is also home to the Durón Gallery. The gallery hosts both visual and performance exhibitions "that inspire social change and amplify the voices of marginalized communities."

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC).

• The Box Project
• Down the Rabbit Hole by Mercedes Gertz
• De Colores Means All of Us: Art and the Dialectics of Coalition Building in Communities of Color Curated by Claudia Huiza

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 685 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Skirball Cultural Center

Cultural Center

The Skirball Cultural Center is an educational institution focused on sustaining Jewish heritage and American democratic ideals. The center is quite large and includes a museum, a performing arts center, conference halls, classrooms, libraries, courtyards, gardens, and a café. The museum's collection includes 30,000+ objects such as archaeological artifacts from biblical and later historical periods, Jewish ceremonial objects, Old World Jewish objects, fine artworks in a variety of media, and more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Skirball Cultural Center.

• Jewish ceremonial objects
• Old World Jewish objects
• Archaeological artifacts

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $12 per person
• 📍 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Private Museum

We think it's safe to say everyone is familiar with Ripley's Believe It or Not! But did you know that Ripley first displayed his collection to the public at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933? Back then, it was called Ripley's Odditorium and over two million visitors came to explore Ripley's bizarre oddities. Today, there are Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums all over the world. The museum in Hollywood is home to 13 galleries of oddities.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Ripley's Believe It or Not!.

• Cyclops Lamb
• Visual Illusions
• A Shrunken Head

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $26 per person
• 📍 6780 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum

Private Museum

Located in Hollywood, the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum houses another unique collection. The museum is owned and operated by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, an anti-psychiatry organization founded by the Church of Scientology. The many exhibits document how psychiatry is an industry driven by profit and furthermore that its "help "often results in the death of the patient. These exhibits include physical psychiatric treatments, such as restraints, psychoactive drugs, electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery including lobotomy.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum.

• physical psychiatric treatments
• electroconvulsive therapy
• psychosurgery including lobotomy

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 6616 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Old Plaza Firehouse

Historic Site

The Old Plaza Firehouse was built in 1884 making it the oldest fire station in the city of Los Angeles. You can find it near Olvera Street in the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District. After being among other things a cigar store, poolroom, seedy hotel, the building was restored in the 1950s and opened as the firefighting museum in 1960. The museum's collection includes helmets, photos, and firefighting equipment of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Old Plaza Firehouse.

• firefighting equipment of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• helmets
• photos

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 501 N Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives

Library

ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries has the largest collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender materials in the world and is the oldest existing LGBT organization in the US. ONE Archives' is home to over two million items such as periodicals, books, film, video and audio recordings, photographs, artworks, clothing, costumes, and buttons, organizational records, and personal papers. The organizers also run a small museum space devoted to LGBT art and history in West Hollywood.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.

• Liberate the Bar! Queer Nightlife, Activism, and Spacemaking
• The Gutter Art of Stephen Varble: Genderqueer Performance Art in the 1970s Photographs by Greg Day
• In Search of Baba Singh

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 909 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Nethercutt Collection

Specialty Museum

The Nethercutt Collection is located in Sylmar. Its collection is centered around automobiles and is one of America's five greatest automobile museums. The museum has on display 130+ of the world’s greatest antique, vintage, classic and special interest automobiles. But it isn't just cars, they are also home to mechanical musical instruments, including orchestrions, player pianos and music boxes, antique furniture, and two older-model railroad cars.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Nethercutt Collection.

• Antique, vintage, classic and special interest automobiles
• Mechanical musical instruments
• Player pianos

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 15151 Bledsoe St, Sylmar, CA 91342

Museum of the San Fernando Valley

History Museum

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley is an educational and cultural institution. They focus on acquiring, displaying, and preserving the artifacts, documents and records of the San Fernando Valley. The Museum offers ongoing programs such as Historic Walking Tours, Speaker Series, Horses Across The Valley and much more!

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of the San Fernando Valley.

• WWII History and the San Fernando Valley
• Edgar Rice Burroughs & Tarzan® & Centennial of Tarzana Ranch
• Sculptor Henry Van Wolf

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 18860 Nordhoff St #204, Northridge, CA 91324

Museum of Death

Specialty Museum

Founded in June, 1995 by J. D. Healy and Catherine Shultz, The Museum of Death is a strange place. It all started because the founder's unique hobby -- they would write to serial killers they were interested in, and then show off the artwork their pen pals had created at a specialist show once a year. They eventually collected so many materials they decided to make a museum. The museum displays a wide variety of art and artifacts surrounding the subject of death, from baby coffins to letters and artwork from various serial killers (and much much more!)

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Death.

• A Recreation of the Heaven's Gate Mass Suicide
• The Head of French Serial Killer Henri Landru
• Thanatron, one of the original suicide machines built by Jack Kevorkian

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $17 per person
• 📍 6031 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Mission San Fernando Rey de España

Historic Site

Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on September 8th, 1797 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuén. The mission was named for St. Ferdinand, King of Spain (1217-1252). It fell into disrepair after the 1812 earthquakes and the digging up of the church floor by gold prospectors when gold was discovered nearby. Over the years some to the structures have been restored including the church, monastery and some quarters around the quadrangle. The church is active and mass is held every Sunday at 9:00 and 10:30am.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Mission San Fernando Rey de España.

• Church
• Monastery
• Quarters around the quadrangle

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd, Mission Hills, CA 91345

Los Encinos State Historic Park

Historic Site

Los Encinos State Historic Park is located at the corner of Balboa and Ventura Blvd. in Encino. The five-acre park is home to the original nine-room de la Ossa Adobe, the two-story limestone Garnier building, a blacksmith shop, a natural spring, and a pond.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Los Encinos State Historic Park.

• The Blacksmith's Shop
• The Parlor
• Citrus Grove

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 16756 Moorpark St, Encino, CA 91436

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

History Museum

Founded in 1961 by Holocaust Survivors, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH) is an important museum located in LA's Pan Pacific Park. LAMOTH's collection of personally donated original documents and artifacts is displayed in a way that lets each piece tell its own story as objectively as possible. Interestingly, as you explore the various rooms you'll find that they very purposefully get darker as you explore the ones containing the darker parts of this history.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.

• Sobibor Death Camp Scale Model
• Tree of Testimony
• 18 Camps Interactive

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 100 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Los Angeles Maritime Museum

Specialty Museum

Located at Sixth Street at Harbor Boulevard in San Pedro, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a non-profit maritime museum and the largest maritime museum on the West Coast. The museum's exhibits include a history of commercial diving in Los Angeles Harbor, a Navy Hall that features large ship models such as the SS Poseidon model from the 1972 disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, chronicles of the San Pedro fishing industry, and models of merchant ships such as the Silverpalm and square-riggers.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

• SS Poseidon Model
• Merchant Ship Models
• Ham Radio Station

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $5 per person
• 📍 600 Sampson Way (Berth 84), San Pedro, CA 90731

Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial

Specialty Museum

The Los Angeles Fire Department actually operates two different museums, the Hollywood Museum and the Harbor Museum. The museums are home to old fire engines and fire apparatus, with some artifacts dating back to the 1880s. The Hollywood Museum also has a reference library and fire safety learning center.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial.

• Old fire engines
• Fire apparatus
• Artifacts dating back to the 1880s

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 1355 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Cultural Center

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is located near the site where Los Angeles was founded in 1781. Their campus includes two historic and newly renovated buildings, the Vickrey-Brunswig Building and Plaza House, which are surrounded by a large public garden. The museum collection and exhibitions explore the stories, history, cultures, values, and traditions of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and all Latinos in Los Angeles and Southern California.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

• Calle Principal
• LA Starts Here!
• The View From Here: Architecture as Witness to History.

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 501 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Judson Studios

Historic Site

Located in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles, Judson Studios is a fine arts studio specializing in stained glass. In 1969, the Judson Studios building was named a Historic-Cultural Landmark by the City of Los Angeles. Later, in 1999, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Public Tours of Judson Studios take place every second Thursday of the month at 2:15 pm. The tour lasts about 90 minutes.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Judson Studios.

• Stained Glass
• Kilnformed Glass

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $18 per person
• 📍 200 S Ave 66, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Human Resources Los Angeles

Specialty Museum

Located in Los Angeles's Chinatown, Human Resources Los Angeles (HRLA) is a non-profit contemporary and conceptual art space focused on performative and other underexposed modes of expression. Be sure to check out the calendar before your visit, as opening hours vary with each exhibition and event.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Human Resources Los Angeles.

• Muscle House Cookbook (Part 2)
• Gong Gaada • Glochids • lucky dragons
• The Revolting Lumpen! a classical opera reboot

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 410 Cottage Home St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Hollywood Museum

Specialty Museum

The Hollywood Museum is housed in the historic Max Factor Building on Highland Avenue (Max Factor was Hollywood’s Makeup King during the Golden Era). The four floored museum has an interesting collection of 10,000+ one-of-a-kind show biz treasures. It includes authentic costumes, props, photographs, scripts, stars’ car collections and personal artifacts, posters, and vintage memorabilia from favorite films and TV shows.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Hollywood Museum.

• Marilyn Monroe’s million dollar dress
• Elvis’ personal bathrobe
• Hannibal Lecter’s jail cell from Silence of the Lambs

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $15 per person
• 📍 1660 N Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028

Hollywood Bowl Museum

Specialty Museum

The Hollywood Bowl Museum (formerly known as the Tea Room) is located at the bottom of Peppertree Lane. It features many historical exhibits with objects such as vintage photographs, vintage sound equipment, newspaper clippings, postcards, live video recordings, and live audio recordings. It, of course, also features memorabilia and artifacts about the history of the Hollywood Bowl including Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Hollywood Bowl Museum .

• Summer Nights: Jazz at the Bowl
• Hollywood Bowl: Music For Everyone
• Beatles at the Bowl

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 2301 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Guinness World Records Museum

Specialty Museum

If you grew up reading the Guinness World Records books you are going to love this museum. Check out displays on the most amazing record-breaking facts and feats. The museum is also very interactive with lots of games and photo ops. You'll get the chance to stand next to the tallest man ever, weigh yourself against the heaviest man, meet the best-selling video game character, learn about the man who hiccuped for 69 years, and so much more.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Guinness World Records Museum.

• The tallest man ever
• Best-selling video game character
• The man who hiccuped for 69 years

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $36 per person
• 📍 6764 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation

Art Museum

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation is a truly unique space. Their collection of modern and contemporary art is displayed in a "living with art—house museum." There are more than 400 works of art on display. The collection includes works by European Modernists including Cézanne, Picasso, and Kandinsky, Surrealist works by Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and René Magritte and many more. Guided public tours are available by appointment only and advanced reservations are required.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

• Works by Picasso
• Works by Cézanne
• Works by Kandinsky

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 265 N Carolwood Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90077

The Fowler Museum at UCLA

Art Museum

The Fowler is a museum on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Fowler explores art and material culture primarily from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the Americas. The museum's collections includes 120,000+ art and ethnographic and 600,000 archaeological objects from the ancient, traditional, and contemporary cultures of Africa, Native and Latin America, and Asia and the Pacific. They generally have three to six art exhibitions on display at a time.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Fowler Museum at UCLA.

• Yoruba Beaded Arts from Southern Nigeria
• Pre-Columbian Ceramic Vessels from Peru
• Batik Textiles of Indonesia

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ $0 per person
• 📍 308 Charles E Young Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90024